The San Francisco 49ers on Saturday made official what head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed would happen on Friday, with running back Christian McCaffrey activated from injured reserve.

It is a move that clears McCaffrey to make his first appearance of the season after the reigning Offensive Player of the Year missed the first eight games of the campaign with Achilles tendinitis.

The timing could hardly be better, with the 49ers coming off their bye week following a primetime win over the Dallas Cowboys and McCaffrey set to face a team against whom he has enjoyed consistent success,

Indeed, McCaffrey, as a former member of the Carolina Panthers, is very familiar with the 49ers' Week 10 opponent, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

He has scored 10 touchdowns against Tampa Bay in his career, a tally he has only matched against the Arizona Cardinals in his career.

While McCaffrey might need to knock some rust off, the signs are that a game with the Buccaneers could once again be a very profitable one for the 49ers tailback.

Indeed, the Bucs rank 23rd in the NFL in DVOA against opposing running backs in the passing game, per FTN Fantasy.

The Buccaneers are stingier against the run, ranking 10th in DVOA, but are 18th in Expected Points Added per play allowed against opposing rushers. 

With McCaffrey's impact in the passing game and his dynamism as a runner, the 49ers' superstar is uniquely placed to take advantage of a defense that has struggled to stop anyone this season and is particularly deficient at the linebacker position.

McCaffrey's return has been long awaited, but he may be making it against the perfect opponent.

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